Jeremiah 26
1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, came this word from Yahweh saying:
At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the LORD:
2 Thus, saith Yahweh, —Stand thou in the court of the house of Yahweh, and speak unto all the cities of Judah who are entering in to bow down in the house of Yahweh, all the words which I have commanded thee to speak unto them, —do not thou keep back a word:
“This is what the LORD says: Stand in the courtyard of the house of the LORD and speak all the words I have commanded you to speak to all the cities of Judah who come to worship there. Do not omit a word.
3 Peradventure they will hear, and return every man from his wicked way, —and I shall repent as to the calamity which I am devising to execute upon them because of the wickedness of their doings:
Perhaps they will listen and turn—each from his evil way of life—so that I may relent of the disaster I am planning to bring upon them because of the evil of their deeds.
4 Therefore shalt thou say unto them Thus, saith Yahweh, —If ye will not hearken unto me, To walk in my law which I have set before you;
And you are to tell them that this is what the LORD says: ‘If you do not listen to Me and walk in My law, which I have set before you,
5 To hearken unto the words of my servants the prophets, whom I am sending unto you, even, betimes, sending, though ye have not hearkened,
and if you do not listen to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I have sent you again and again even though you did not listen,
6 Then I will make this house like Shiloh, —And, this city, will I make a contempt to all the nations of the earth.
then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth.’”
7 So the priests and the prophets, and all the people, heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of Yahweh.
Now the priests and prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD,
8 And it came to pass when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that Yahweh had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets, and all the people laid hold of him, saying—Thou shalt, surely die!
and as soon as he had finished telling all the people everything the LORD had commanded him to say, the priests and prophets and all the people seized him, shouting, “You must surely die!
9 Why hast thou prophesied in the name of Yahweh, saying, Like Shiloh, shall this house become, And this city, shall be desolate, without inhabitant? And all the people, were gathered together unto Jeremiah in the house of Yahweh,
How dare you prophesy in the name of the LORD that this house will become like Shiloh and this city will be desolate and deserted!” And all the people assembled against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.
10 When the princes of Judah heard these things, then came they up out of the house of the king, unto the house of Yahweh, —and took their seats in the opening of the new gate of Yahweh.
When the officials of Judah heard these things, they went up from the king’s palace to the house of the LORD and sat there at the entrance of the New Gate.
11 Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes, and unto all the people, saying, —Worthy of death, is this man, because he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your own ears,
Then the priests and prophets said to the officials and all the people, “This man is worthy of death, for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears!”
12 Then spake Jeremiah, unto all the princes and unto all the people, saying, —Yahweh, sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city, all the words that ye have heard.
But Jeremiah said to all the officials and all the people, “The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard.
13 Now, therefore amend your ways, and your doings, and hearken unto the voice of Yahweh your God, —that Yahweh may repent him, as to the calamity which he hath spoken concerning you.
So now, correct your ways and deeds, and obey the voice of the LORD your God, so that He might relent of the disaster He has pronounced against you.
14 But, I, behold me in your hand, —do with me as may be good and right in your eyes;
As for me, here I am in your hands; do to me what you think is good and right.
15 Only, ye must, know, that If, ye, do put me, to death, verily innocent blood, are ye laying upon yourselves, and against this city, and against her inhabitants, —for of a truth, did Yahweh send me unto you, to speak in your ears, all these words.
But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves, upon this city, and upon its residents; for truly the LORD has sent me to speak all these words in your hearing.”
16 Then said the princes, and all the people, unto the priests and unto the prophets, —There is nothing in this man worthy of death, for in the name of Yahweh our God, hath he spoken unto us.
Then the officials and all the people told the priests and prophets, “This man is not worthy of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God!”
17 Then rose up men from among the elders of the land, and spake unto all the convocation of the people saying:
Some of the elders of the land stood up and said to the whole assembly of the people,
18 Micah the Morashtite, was prophesying, in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, —and he spake unto all the people of Judah, saying, thus, saith Yahweh of hosts—Zion, as a field, shall be plowed, And, Jerusalem, into heaps of ruins, shall be turned, And, the mountain of the house, [be] like mounds in a jungle,
“Micah the Moreshite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah and told all the people of Judah that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, and the temple mount a wooded ridge.’
19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put, him to death? Did he not revere Yahweh, and appease the face of Yahweh? And did not Yahweh repent him, as to the calamity which he had spoken against them? We, therefore are doing a great wickedness against our own lives!
Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in Judah put him to death? Did Hezekiah not fear the LORD and seek His favor, and did not the LORD relent of the disaster He had pronounced against them? But we are about to bring great harm on ourselves!”
20 There was however, a man, prophesying in the name of Yahweh, Urijah, son of Shemaiah, of Keriath-jearim, —who prophesied against this city, and against this land, according to all the words of Jeremiah.
Now there was another man prophesying in the name of the LORD, Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against this city and against this land the same things that Jeremiah did.
21 And when King Jehoiakim, and all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, then the king sought to put him to death, —but Urijah heard, and feared and fled and entered Egypt.
King Jehoiakim and all his mighty men and officials heard his words, and the king sought to put him to death. But when Uriah found out about it, he fled in fear and went to Egypt.
22 Then did King Jehoiakim send men to Egypt, —even Elnathan son of Achbor, and certain men with him, into Egypt
Then King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt: Elnathan son of Achbor along with some other men.
23 and they brought forth Urijah out of Egypt, and took him in unto King Jehoiakim, who smote him with the sword, —and cast out his dead body among the graves of the sons of the people.
They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who had him put to the sword and his body thrown into the burial place of the common people.
24 Howbeit the hand of Ahikam son of Shaphan, turned out to be with Jeremiah, —so as not to give him up into the hand of the people, to put him to death.
Nevertheless, Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.
